In covering 140.6 miles, Hiromu Inada, at 85, has traveled more miles in one day than most 85 year-olds travel in a single year.

On Saturday, the Japanese triathlete became the oldest person to finish the Kona IRONMAN World Championship, and even beat his own personal record in the process.

Competitors must complete the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and the 26.2-mile run in under 17 hours, and Inada did it in 16:53:50, proving that when the mind wants something, the body can follow.

It was a comeback year for Inada, who missed the time cutoff in 2017.

 

 

In addition to proving that the human body can take on enormous challenges late in life, Inada also demonstrates that it’s never too late to begin testing yourself, physically. He didn’t start competing in the sport until he was 70 year old.

“[I like] that I can enjoy three kinds of sport,” he told CEEPO at 82 years old. “There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment at the goal after much suffering.”

 

 

He typically trains six days per week, and remains open to trying new training regimens.

“My goal is to continue participating in races and completing them within the time limit,” he told the Japanese government. “My body is weakening with age, but that moment when I can feel all my training paying off is real. I try out things I see on TV and advice I receive immediately. By doing so, my times get better. And then I try something new again. It’s that repetition. I see the tricks I try out turn into real results, and it’s extremely fun.”

Inada’s athletic career began after he retired and began swimming at the gym in order to maintain his health. Years later, he bought a road bike and also began running. To him, it’s nothing short of pure joy.

“I’ve lived to my eighties and I’ve never felt so fulfilled,” he said. “I’m too busy to have time to take it easy, but I think of now as my youth.”